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dense4's review against another edition
2.0
The book details the author's journey running the length of North America, but the vast majority of the book is spent detailing the history of repression of Native People, Mexicans, and working class people as a whole.
The author was able to find himself on the run, but to this reader, the whole exercise appeared poorly planned, under-resourced, and run by bullies. There's probably a metaphor there but my knees hurt in sympathy pain too much to pick up on it.
The author was able to find himself on the run, but to this reader, the whole exercise appeared poorly planned, under-resourced, and run by bullies. There's probably a metaphor there but my knees hurt in sympathy pain too much to pick up on it.
emmarie_'s review against another edition
2.0
At 19, Noe Alvarez joins a pan-Indigenous run from Alaska to Panama. The son of working-class immigrants, he blends stories of his harsh upbringing with vignettes of a run fraught with danger, interpersonal conflict, and cross-cultural clashes. While I appreciated the story of Noe's wild journey, I frequently wished for more details as well as more of a narrative structure tying his reflections together.
theshaggyshepherd's review against another edition
3.0
Spirit Run // by Noe Alvarez
This is a title that I have been looking forward to for a while but am now struggling to organize my thoughts about. The blurb had me excited about learning about immigration and the First Nations/Native American movement from a new angle, connecting with the land through running. The beginning of the book was very much like I expected: We learn about his experiences in the work force and about his family with a lot of focus on his parents. I learned a lot about the industry and inhumane practices, about the poverty that so many immigrants struggle with and the unfair treatment of them by the citizens of a country that would not exist were it not for the many immigrants of the past and the present.
But the deeper I got into the story, the more I struggled with it. I found myself taking a lot of breaks from it and dreading coming back to it. The group of runners was not what I expected at all, especially with the name Peace and Dignity Journey. I loved learning about their rituals and thoughts of connecting with the land, but peace and dignity seemed far from their reality within the group itself. I also started to miss the deep reflections that I enjoyed at the beginning of the book when he spoke about the issues in society and with immigration. I do appreciate how personal he got about describing the way hunger, thirst and pain drove everybody to their limits, but at numerous times, that suffering just felt unnecessary when looking at it from the outside; the consequences of petty and immature behavior sometimes.
This might be an issue about incorrect expectations, but I was honestly expecting a book that would be inspirational and maybe even show us a way forward, but instead it was mostly depressing and I never really felt a sense of closure. Alvarez told us about the multiple degrees he completed after finishing the run, but I did not really see the point of getting those and spending hard earned money on them since it seems like he did not actually use them to his advantage. I do hope we get to hear more from him in the future and see where this experience takes him.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
This is a title that I have been looking forward to for a while but am now struggling to organize my thoughts about. The blurb had me excited about learning about immigration and the First Nations/Native American movement from a new angle, connecting with the land through running. The beginning of the book was very much like I expected: We learn about his experiences in the work force and about his family with a lot of focus on his parents. I learned a lot about the industry and inhumane practices, about the poverty that so many immigrants struggle with and the unfair treatment of them by the citizens of a country that would not exist were it not for the many immigrants of the past and the present.
But the deeper I got into the story, the more I struggled with it. I found myself taking a lot of breaks from it and dreading coming back to it. The group of runners was not what I expected at all, especially with the name Peace and Dignity Journey. I loved learning about their rituals and thoughts of connecting with the land, but peace and dignity seemed far from their reality within the group itself. I also started to miss the deep reflections that I enjoyed at the beginning of the book when he spoke about the issues in society and with immigration. I do appreciate how personal he got about describing the way hunger, thirst and pain drove everybody to their limits, but at numerous times, that suffering just felt unnecessary when looking at it from the outside; the consequences of petty and immature behavior sometimes.
This might be an issue about incorrect expectations, but I was honestly expecting a book that would be inspirational and maybe even show us a way forward, but instead it was mostly depressing and I never really felt a sense of closure. Alvarez told us about the multiple degrees he completed after finishing the run, but I did not really see the point of getting those and spending hard earned money on them since it seems like he did not actually use them to his advantage. I do hope we get to hear more from him in the future and see where this experience takes him.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.
briannabhopkins's review against another edition
3.0
I felt like this wasn’t totally fleshed out. I enjoyed the first and last sections, but the main section where all the running is happening just seemed like the same thing each day, with a scenery change. I feel like there was more that could have been told about what was happening during the time spent running. There’s few positive interactions with other people that are recorded in the run section whereas we see more relationships in the first and last section (mostly familial) so maybe that’s why I enjoyed those more.
8little_paws's review against another edition
3.0
I wish I liked this more....but it felt super uneven. The ending DRAGGED. It's really more memoir, and about the author's life and family, and less about the run. The run, however, and the dynamics of the people involved, was super interesting.
baerwald's review against another edition
2.0
I thought it would tell more about the ceremonies and indigenous people of the lands that went through. But really just focused on main character’s journey and how much his knees hurt and the infighting in the group.
gemiria's review against another edition
A fascinating story, but I found myself wanting more from the telling of it. A critique and desire that is troubling because, after all, who am I, the reader, to demand a writer bare even more of himself, excavate deeper raw places, especially when his story intersects with those of others that may not be his to tell? Still there was a sense throughout this book of lines around what the author could and could not include, a holding back that left me feeling I didn't fully understand the story Álvarez was telling; the underlying webs of emotion that gave meaning and weight to his experiences felt obscured.
cactussambal's review against another edition
4.0
A story of a child of immigrants who comes to terms with his roots.
edddiful's review against another edition
adventurous
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.25
As the first born of immigrants from Mexico that moved to Washington state, this one hit really hard. His constant dilemma and struggle with self acceptance was one that I was made painfully aware of at a young age. I found the authors connection with himself, his passions, and his homelands to be something quite relatable throughout the trials of my own life. Bravo!